Gerda Weissensteiner OMRI is an Italian luger and bobsleigh pilot who competed from the late 1980s to 2006. Competing in six Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles luge event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, and together with Jennifer Isacco she won the bronze in Turin in the two-woman bobsleigh at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was the first Italian sportsperson to win Olympic medals in two disciplines.
Alex Gough is a retired Canadian luger who competed between 2002 and 2018. Gough is a two-time Olympic luge medalist winning bronze in women's and silver in the team relay at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She was the first Canadian to win a luge medal at the Olympics. Gough won a bronze medal in the women's singles event at the FIL World Luge Championships 2011 in Cesana, the first ever for a Canadian woman and only the second overall. Gough has won a total of six World Championship medals, two bronze in women's singles and a silver and three bronze in the mixed team relay events.
Natalia Yakushenko is a Soviet-Ukrainian luger who has competed since 1987. She won two bronze medals at the FIL World Luge Championships.
Anna Orlova is a retired Latvian luger who competed at six Winter Olympics between 1992 and 2010. She won the silver medal in the mixed team event at the 2003 FIL World Luge Championships in Sigulda, Latvia and finished fourth in the women's singles event at those same championships.
Veronika Halder is an Austrian luger who has competed since 2000. She won four medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with two silvers and two bronzes.
Christopher Moffat is a Canadian luger who has competed since 2000. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of fifth in the men's doubles event at Salt Lake City in 2002.
Courtney Zablocki is an American luger who competed on the World Cup luge circuit from 1997 to 2010 and competed in eight World Championships. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of fourth place in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006, missing a medal placement by only .392 of a second.
Liliya Anatoliyvna Ludan is a Ukrainian luger who has competed since 1985. Competing at the Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of sixth in the women's singles event both in 2002 and in 2006. Ludan is a member of the Kolos Sports Society.
Nina Reithmayer is an Austrian luger who has competed since 2002. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she won a silver medal in the women's singles event at Vancouver in 2010.
Martina Kocher is a Swiss former luger who competed between 1999 and 2018. She is Switzerland's most successful luger. She first slid on a luge at the age of nine at St. Moritz, after taking an interest in the sport when her father Heinz, a former bobsledder-turned-coach of bobsleigh and luge, took her along to a training course he was leading.
Madoka Harada is a Japanese luger who has competed since 2004. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 13th in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Alexandra Vasiliyevna Rodionova is a Russian bobsledder and former luger who has competed since 2003. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of sixth in the women's singles event at Vancouver in 2010.
Ewelina Staszulonek is a Polish luger who has competed since 2003. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of eighth in the women's singles event at Vancouver in 2010.
Maija Tīruma is a former Latvian luger who competed from 2000 to 2013. She won two bronze medals in the mixed team relay event at the FIL World Luge Championships. Tīruma also won a gold medal in the mixed team relay event at the 2008 FIL European Luge Championships in Cesana, Italy and finished seventh in the women's singles event at those same championships. Competing in three Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of ninth in the women's singles event at Vancouver in 2010.
Veronika Sabolová is a Slovak luger who has competed since 1995. Competing in three Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 14th in the women's singles event at Vancouver in 2010.
Jana Šišajová is a Slovakian luger who has competed since 2000. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 22nd in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Markéta Jeriová is a Czech luger who competed from 1998 to 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 19th in the women's singles event at Salt Lake City in 2002.
The Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria. The most recent version of the track was completed in 1975 and is the first permanent, combination artificially refrigerated bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, serving as a model for other tracks of its kind worldwide. It hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton competitions for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics.
The Whistler Sliding Centre is a Canadian bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Whistler, British Columbia, that is 125 km (78 mi) north of Vancouver. The centre is part of the Whistler Blackcomb resort, which comprises two ski mountains separated by Fitzsimmons Creek. Located on the lowermost slope of the northern mountain, Whistler Sliding Centre hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton competitions for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The women's luge at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada took place on 15–16 February at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. Germany's Sylke Otto was the two-time defending Olympic champion. Otto retired midway through the 2006-07 season in January 2007 to pregnancy and after suffering a crash at the track in Königssee, Germany. Erin Hamlin of the United States was the defending world champion. The test event that took place at the venue was won by Germany's Natalie Geisenberger. The last World Cup event prior to the 2010 games took place in Cesana, Italy on 31 January 2010 and was won by Geisenberger. Geisenberger's teammate Tatjana Hüfner, the defending Olympic bronze medalist, won the overall World Cup for 2009-10 season in women's singles.
